A new student group, created with the goal of building a supportive community for women of color on campus, was recently launched at Fordham Law.
The Fordham Law Women of Color Collective (FWOCC) is led by co-presidents Cindy Edward ‘26 and Amber Moye ‘26, who first discussed the idea of starting a group last fall.
Edward, who previously served as president of the Women of Color Collective while at New York University, saw an opportunity to bring a similar concept to Fordham Law.
“The reason we started the organization was because we didn’t have a space where all women of color across all affinity groups could come together in one space and share their journey,” said Edward. “I understood the importance of having a space where all women of color feel safe and can come together and just talk about the experiences they’re going through while also developing professionally.”
FWOCC’s mission statement calls for “creating a supportive community where women of color can safely learn, grow, and pursue their dreams alongside like-minded peers” through networking opportunities and community-building.
The group also serves as a way to connect women across intersectional identities and many FWOCC board members also hold leadership positions at other affinity groups on campus, including Treasurer Pamela Bhatta who is the president of the South Asian Law Student Association and FWOCC DEI Chair Lulu Alryati who is also co-president of the Muslim Law Student Association.
In the future, FWOCC hopes to collaborate and build coalitions with other groups on campus, provide members with opportunities for professional development and continue growing its ranks. Its first event was a welcome picnic that allowed students to meet the leadership board, mingle with like-minded students, and learn more about future initiatives.
“Now is a more important time than ever to have these events and to continue building off of them,” said FWOCC Communications Chair Addison Peeler ‘26. “Because, like they always say, law school is all about connections.”
The new group is already becoming influential. Moye said that she was approached by students interested in starting a similar group that would bring together men of color on campus. “It’s nice to see that it is inspiring people to sort of think more creatively about how we draw multiple lines between ourselves and others,” said Moye.
